Cultural Competence With Diversity of Opinion, GCSE Coursework Example

Introduction

Nurse leaders must demonstrate a high level understanding of many issues related to the practice setting that will have a positive impact on the issues that are most relevant, along with factors that impact an organization and its ability to be successful in achieving the desired outcomes. Nurse leaders must possess strong communication skills that will have a positive impact on patient care and related outcomes, and also support a greater awareness of issues that have a significant impact on the direction of nursing practice. Nurse leaders are in a position to have a significant influence on staff nurses and their decision-making capabilities; therefore, this process must demonstrate a high level understanding of the issues that have the largest impact on improving the practice environment. These conditions require a high level of support and acknowledgement of the issues that might be relevant, while also supporting a variety of opinions regarding these issues that may influence individual perspectives and beliefs. The following discussion will address primary nursing issues in greater detail and the role of nurse leaders in shaping these discussions to promote effective communication and idea sharing among nurses regarding issues of critical importance to all members of the nursing team.

Analysis

In contemporary nursing environments, it is important to identify the options that nurse leaders have in order to initiate discussion and support change in the workplace environment as appropriate. Nurse leaders must be able to utilize new and existing tools in conjunction with each other in an effort to support effective outcomes and to demonstrate a greater reach and impact among staff nurses (Salmela, Eriksson, & Fagerstrom, 2012). In this context, nurse leaders must demonstrate a high level of respect and commitment to the organization to impart these objectives down to staff members (Salmela et.al, 2012). In this context, nurse leaders must be able to exemplify their strengths and be able to support the needs of staff nurses by example, particularly as they work through issues that are important to the practice setting (O’Connor, 2011). Furthermore, when change occurs, it is important to consider the issues that have a direct impact on the nursing unit and how these might be effectively supported by the actions that nurse leaders take, as well as the actions that staff nurses must assume in this process (Salmela et.al, 2012). There are significant opportunities to achieve greater growth and to recognize the value of nurse leaders to the nursing unit, given their ability to lead by example and to address issues of critical importance to all nurses (O’Connor, 2011).

Nurse leaders must be able to provide the tools and resources that are necessary to have a positive impact on the nursing work environment, and this includes the development of factors that stimulate creativity and innovation throughout the nursing unit (Clement-O’Brien, Polit, & Fitzpatrick, 2011). From this perspective, nurse leaders must address issues with an innovative approach so that they are able to actively lead discussions that are professional and appropriate without pushing the envelope beyond what is likely to be acceptable (Clement-O’Brien et.al, 2011). This is an important step in the discovery of nurse leader characteristics that have a positive impact on the unit and its staff members (Clement-O’Brien et.al, 2011). Innovative approaches to solving nursing-related issues is a critical task; therefore, it must be addressed in the context of a nurse leader’s ability to be effective in promoting issues of importance and in advancing the desired agenda in a manner that is favorable for all parties, such as staff nurses (Clement-O’Brien, et.al, 2011). These factors encourage nurse leaders to advocate for staff nurses rather than against them, particularly as they face issues that impact direct patient care, strategic decision-making, and any other matters that influence the overall focus of the nursing unit and its employees (Clement-O’Brien, et.al, 2011).

Nurse leaders must also be able to provide a framework for addressing cultural identity and awareness in the nursing unit environment. This is achieved through the development of a strategy that encourages nurses to interact with each other, regardless of culture, and to demonstrate a high level of respect towards each other and towards all patients (Douglas et.al, 2011). From this perspective, nurse leaders must impart wisdom and experience onto staff nurses so that they are aware of the issues that are most important to them, including cultural identifiers that may have a direct impact on patient care outcomes (Douglas et.al, 2011). It is necessary for all nurses to be reflective of the challenges that their patients face and to understand how to best approach the most important issues to have the most meaningful impact on the team as a whole (Douglas et.al, 2011). Recognizing cultural awareness is one critical aspect of this process and supports the development of new perspectives in order to treat all patients with the dignity and respect that they deserve (Douglas et.al, 2011).

Conclusion

Nurse leaders possess a critical responsibility to be effective communicators and to share their vision with the rest of the world in an effort to achieve the desired outcomes in a positive and meaningful way. This requires an understanding of timely issues that have a lasting impact, along with other factors that ultimately contribute to the effectiveness of patient care and whether or not unmet needs must be addressed in the practice environment. Most importantly, nurse leaders and staff nurses must effectively collaborate regarding a number of issues in order to accomplish the desired objectives, including those related to direct patient care. This process supports the development of new factors that have a positive impact in quality of care and treatment, particularly when nurse leaders employ cultural awareness and education in their interactions with staff members.

References

Clement?O’Brien, K. A. R. E. N., Polit, D. F., & Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2011). Innovativeness of nurse leaders. Journal of nursing management, 19(4), 431-438.

Douglas, M. K., Pierce, J. U., Rosenkoetter, M., Pacquiao, D., Callister, L. C., Hattar-Pollara, M., … & Purnell, L. (2011). Standards of practice for culturally competent nursing care: 2011 update. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 22(4), 317.

O’Connor, M. (2011). Beyond the Classroom: Nurse Leader Preparation and Practices. Nursing administration quarterly, 35(4), 333-337.

Salmela, S., Eriksson, K., & Fagerström, L. (2012). Leading change: a three?dimensional model of nurse leaders’ main tasks and roles during a change process. Journal of advanced nursing, 68(2), 423-433.